A New Beginning
by Leah's-Other-Side
Summary: We all know what Commander Shepard was thinking during the storyline of Mass Effect, but what was Dr. T'Soni's view on it all? Written from Liara's POV. Paragon FemShep. CHAPTER ONE EDITED!
1. Encounter

_**Disclaimer - **I don't own anything in here relating to Mass Effect, Bioware gets to claim that. I do own the the things that aren't mentioned in the game however._

**A/N - **_This is my first Fan Fiction so please feel free to give me any hints._

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I am trapped. In a security device. One made by the people who I have devoted my whole life to studying. The Protheans. What. An. Idiot. How could I have been so stupid? I should have been more careful when I activated it. Engaged in a careful process of pressing buttons that I had a decent idea of what they did, rather than a frantic pressing of every button in reach. I suppose it did have the intended effect though, even if I could have been better off. Suspended in a blue bubble behind a blue barrier curtain that seals off the tiled cell of the tower I am in is better than being dragged off by the geth and that krogan. I still have to put up with their attempts to get me out of here every hour or so. Which they have been doing for around two days. But it could be worse.

Goddess help me. Please forgive my stupidity and get me out of here. Preferably not into the krogan's hands, but I'll take what I can get.

Just get me out.

Please.

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Something shakes the bubble, destroying my attempts at sleep. I don't bother moving around. I can't move anything but my head anyway. I just listen. Hopefully.

Is that...gunfire? It's faint...but it's definitely there. The krogan releasing some pent up tension or rescuers? I'm hoping it's the latter.

The gunfire stops and soon after the elevator starts up. I really hope it's not backup for the krogan. That would be bad. There might be someone who actually has a brain.

The elevator suddenly starts screeching on its descent, the piercing noise echoing through the underground cavern. I wish I could put my hands over my ears. Anything to block out that hideous noise. I don't get to lament my situation long before the elevator lands heavily on the broken platform above me. From the sounds of their footsteps, I would say there were three people in it. Too light to be the krogan or the geth. Maybe it could be someone here to rescue me. They probably aren't here for the krogan. Do they know I'm down here? I should call out to them. But they could be here for something else. Maybe they're here for the same reason the krogan is. An unpleasant proposition. I suppose I won't know unless I try.

"Uh...hello? Could somebody help me? Please?"

The footsteps pause momentarily and then continue. Did they hear me? I hope they did. Three figures drop onto the ground in front of the barrier curtain through a hole punched into the platform by a large geth beforehand. They shouldn't have expected the thin metal to be able to hold its weight. The three walk up to the curtain, the blue light allowing me to look them over. Wow. They're humans. Haven't seen many of them before. Well, just on the extranet really, but I've seen enough to guess that the one on the right is male and the other two are female. That's curious. I thought they were a patriarchal society. And yet the woman in the middle seems to be the leader. Interesting. They don't seem to be here to harm me, but I've been wrong before. Oh well. It's worth trying. The krogan can't get in, so they probably won't be able to anyway.

"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped! I need help!"

The leader takes off her helmet, revealing dark red hair. "Are you okay? What happened?" she sounds stressed, which is understandable. She was probably expecting Therum to be reasonably quiet. It's supposed to be anyway. That's why I didn't bring anyone here with me. It was just a simple dig site. I'm just an archaeologist. I don't expect people to come after me. She must have encountered people outside of here though. Her left arm seems crooked, as though it is broken. Unless she broke it in the lift, which I doubt, something must have happened on the surface. I look at her face. Green eyes stare back at me somewhat impatiently. Oh yeah, she asked me a question.

"Listen," I say, trying to sound calm. "This thing I am in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it, alright?"

She just keeps staring at me. Did I do something wrong? Maybe I've offended her. I don't know how though. I should have done more research into their species when they emerged. It would have been really helpful now.

"Your mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?"

"What?" I say reproachfully. What side? What are we doing, fighting a war or something? Saren was that rogue Spectre, wasn't he? I read it on the extranet. Why would my mother be working with him? And why are you asking me anyway? I haven't seen her for ages. We are completely different. I just want to be left alone. Preferably out of here, but I'll take what I can get. "I'm not on anybody's side! I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years. Please. Just get me out of here."

That seems to satisfy her and her tone softens. "How did you end up in there?"

That's much nicer. I'll try to calm down a bit. Stop sounding like a raving madwoman. "I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up, so I hid in here. Can you believe that? Geth? Beyond the Veil!" Calm down, Liara. You're getting worked up again. "I activated the tower's defences. I knew the barrier curtains would keep them out. When I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn't supposed to. I was trapped in here. You must get me out. Please."

The woman smiles, revealing pearl-white teeth. "We'll find some way to help you." She sounds so sure that she'll get me out. I don't share her optimism, but I may as well try to help her.

"There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing. You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part; the defences cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here." I should probably tell her about the krogan. She may not have encountered him yet, the blubbering idiot probably not even having noticed her presence. "Be careful. There is a krogan with the geth. They have been trying different ways to get past the barrier." None that have worked, obviously. But mentionable none the less.

I think I hear the leader mumble a thanks, but she turns around and the three of them walk off before I can ask. Soon they are out of sight, searching for a way to get me out of this mess. In the process leaving me here, alone.

Goddess, what have I got myself into?

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	2. Escape

_**Disclaimer - **I don't own anything in here relating to Mass Effect, Bioware gets to claim that. I do own the the things that aren't mentioned in the game however._

_**A/N - **This is my first Fan Fiction so please feel free to give me any hints._

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I hung in mid-air, staring at the blue tiled floor below me as I listened to the sound of gunshots ring out far away. Was the human group under attack? I tried desperately to see what was happening, but I could barely see anything beyond my cell as the poor lighting of the cavern prevented me from seeing what was going on. The only lights in the complex were located in a small corner at the back, where the miners had been keeping their belongings. Much to my annoyance, the areas lit by the lights were outside my line of sight. If only I had asked the miners for more lights, maybe I would have been able to see what was happening. All fell silent in the cavern. Were the humans still alive? My heart sank; I hoped desperately that they were okay.

After a while I started wondering if I could trust the humans. How could I? I didn't even know their names or who had sent them here. Just as I was about to give up on them I heard the mining laser start up. Peering through the gloom, I could just make out the beam of the laser cutting away at the mine floor. Almost as soon as it had started, the laser was turned off and I was thrust again into the unforgiving darkness.

I wondered why it had started. I didn't think there was anything that it could be used for unless…no…I don't want to think about it.

I heard one of the small elevator's behind my cell start up on the floor below me. I hoped that it was the group of humans, not the krogan. As it juddered to a halt behind my cell I tried to look over my shoulder to see who it was without success. Then I heard footsteps behind me. Whoever it was they were walking very quietly. As they came closer I could see that it was the group of humans. How they had managed to access the elevator I had no idea.

I called out to them over my shoulder, "How…how did you get in here? I didn't think there was any way past the barrier!"

"We have to get you out of here before more geth arrive." The leader of the humans answered, ignoring my question completely.

"Yes, your right" I replied, feeling slightly annoyed that she hadn't responded to my query. "I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime. That button should shut down my containment field". The leader looked over at the console and was about to head over to it when the other female in the group said,

"Hold on, Commander. Her mother is working with Saren. Should we trust her?"

I was starting to get very angry now. I could tell by the warmth on my face that I was blushing profusely.

"I am not my mother! I don't even -- I don't know why Benezia joined Saren! I don't want anything to do with that turian bastard!" I replied angrily, spitting out the last word with distaste.

"If she was with Saren, the geth wouldn't be trying to kill her." The Commander told her companion calmly. The leader then walked over to the console and turned it on, then pressed a button on the holographic keyboard that appeared.

I immediately fell to the tiled ground, landing heavily. I greedily sucked in the cool, damp air in deep breaths as I picked myself up off the ground.

"Any idea how we get out of this place?" the male asked.

I walked over to them.

"There is an elevator back in the centre of the tower. At least, I, I think it's an elevator. It should take us out of here. Come on!" I told them.

The leader nodded to her group and they followed me without uttering a word as I led them past the smaller elevator they had used, and headed towards the main elevator that linked all of the cells together. As we stepped onto the elevator platform I broke the silence and spoke quietly to the commander.

"I, I still cannot believe all of this. Why would the geth come after me? Do you think that Benezia is involved?" I asked her, sadly.

The male replied for the Commander, "Saren's looking for the Conduit. You're a Prothean expert. He probably wants you to help find it"

I'd heard about the Conduit somewhere before but I couldn't quite remember what it was. I turned to the male and said,

"The Conduit? But I don't know --" I was interrupted by a sudden deep rumbling noise. I looked around, wondering where it had come from.

"What the hell was that?" the female shouted over the noise which had now engulfed the elevator, almost deafening us.

"These ruins are not stable." I yelled back, "That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event."

I shouted to the Commander, "We have to hurry. The whole place is caving in!"

I hurriedly activated the elevator and could barely hear it over the roar of the earthquake. The Commander yelled over her mike,

"Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal. On the double mister!"

I wondered who this 'Joker' was and I decided that the 'Normandy' must have been the team's ship. However, I didn't get much time to ponder on this because I almost fell over, due to a tremor that vibrated through the earth and the entire complex. I only just managed to hear the reply to the leader's demand over the din,

"Aye Aye, Commander. Secure and aweigh, ETA eight minutes." a male voice said calmly.

"Not much room for error." The male commented dryly.

The elevator sped upwards. I thought about the events of the past few hours. My mind being distracted only by the tremors that were by now increasing in frequency, threatening to throw us off our feet.

When we made it to the top of the large, clammy elevator shaft I saw the krogan from the mine with some geth, walk out of a cell very similar to the one I was trapped in. when they had walked through, the barrier curtain activated, leaving us trapped inside with them. The Commander held out her hand to the side to tell us to stay put.

The krogan called out to the leader of the human group in a chilling tone,

"Surrender. Or don't…that would be more fun."

If I had thought that the human leader's voice sounded harsh back down in the mine, it was nothing compared to the harshness she used now, completely devoid of emotion.

"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart!"

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" replied the krogan in a mocking tone.

Although the Commander seemed surprised that the krogan seemed to not have any sense of self-preservation, it did not surprise me in the least. You could hire a krogan mercenary to do anything for the right price. Apparently someone had neglected to tell the Commander leader this.

Seeing the human's shocked reaction, the krogan decided to press on and continue with the conversation,

"Thanks for getting rid of those energy fields for us. Now, hand the doctor over."

I decided to help out the Commander, who still appeared to be shocked, and shouted at the krogan,

"Whatever it is you want, you're not getting it from me." I intended to sound brave and heroic but instead I ended up sounding insignificant and pathetic.

"She'll stay with us, thanks." The Commander said coolly, regaining her calm composure. I decided that the human must have no sense of self-preservation either, to talk to a krogan so boldly, as though she had put no thought whatsoever into what she was about to say.

"Not an option." The krogan told her, in a nasty voice, "Saren wants her. And he always gets what he wants."

The krogan then spoke to the geth behind him,

"Kill them. Spare the asari if you can. If not, it doesn't matter."

Immediately the geth opened fire on us, forcing us to dash for cover. I ran over to one of the crates near where I was standing and just knelt there, too frightened to use my biotics to help out the humans. I listened to the fight, not daring to come out from behind my crate for fear of the krogan taking me away to see Saren. Eventually the gunshots ended. I peeked out over my crate and saw that the geth were dead, every one of them. The krogan lay at the human leader's feet, dying slowly. Suddenly a tremor shook through the earth, on a much grander scale than the ones that came before it. We ran up to the barrier curtain and as we arrived the barrier disappeared, allowing us to escape the inevitable fate of the mine. We ran as fast as we could up the sloping platforms, not stopping for a breath of air. Suddenly the human leader stopped. She could see that I was falling behind. She called out to us,

"Move! Move! Move!"

She waved me past and then continued running. We could hear the krogan's roars of fury slowly fade as we moved further away from the elevator shaft. I was breathing heavily; I was not cut out for running quickly for long periods of time.

Finally, we made it outside the complex. I was glad to see that I was not the only one huffing and puffing. As the Commander came down the sloping gangway, a shaft of smoke shot out, and we heard some boulders crash around the inside of the complex. It seemed that we had made it out just in time. After we had recovered I spoke to the Commander.

"Please. What is your name?"

"My name is Amilee Shepard. Commander of the SSV Normandy and Agent under the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

So, this was the first human Spectre everybody was going on about. This was the 29 year old human who uncovered that Saren Arterius was a rogue Spectre. I just stood there, shocked that the first human Spectre was a mere 29 years old. I had expected someone a little older, in their mid 30's at least. I looked towards the Commander in a new light, with much admiration and respect. She opened her mouth as if to say something to me but was interrupted by a voice over her earpiece.

"Hey, Commander. Going to come on board sooner or later?" enquired the voice teasingly.

"Yes, Joker." She sighed. "Coming with us, Doctor?" The commander said to me over her shoulder as she walked towards her ship. I shrugged as I followed her past the lava pools towards the Normandy.

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_Please Review! I hope you enjoyed chapter 2 of 'A New Beginning'!_


	3. Questions

_**Disclaimer - **I don't own anything in here relating to Mass Effect, Bioware gets to claim that. I do own the the things that aren't mentioned in the game however._

_**A/N - **This is my first Fan Fiction so please feel free to give me any hints._

* * *

To call the Normandy huge would be an understatement. Massive would be a more accurate term to describe its size. I looked around me, awestruck. I had never seen a ship so large or sleek before. The normally dull colours grey and black were used in such a way as to make the Normandy look elegant and beautiful. Noticing the amazement on my face the Commander smiled and said to me,

"She's a beauty, isn't she? Best damn ship in the whole Alliance Fleet."

"She is, Commander." I said, meaning every word.

"Come with me to the Comm Room. We'll discuss what needs to be done next with the rest of the crew."

Upon seeing the confusion on my face the Commander added teasingly,

"Comm Room stands for Communications Room, Doctor."

I just nodded, to dumbstruck to notice her teasing. The Commander led me past some consoles and showed me to the Comm Room. On our way, I paused momentarily to look at the Normandy's Galaxy Map. It was a perfect representation of the Galaxy. Every star, solar system and nebula was accurately represented with the whole piece hovering in the air above our heads. The Commander waited politely for me to finish examining the Galaxy Map, I was touched by her patience, most humans would have interrupted me by now, impatient to get on with the job. I walked back over to her and she continued to lead me to the Comm Room.

The circular Comm Room was greyish green in colour. The floor, roof, walls, panels and chairs were all painted the same colour, even the three terminals for the FTL links were the unusual colour. I sat down on one of the seats, nervously, wondering what the Commander wanted to speak to us all about. Shortly after, a turian who introduced himself as Garrus Vakarian, came in and sat next to me. Then, a couple of minutes later two humans that I recognised almost immediately from the mine came in and sat down, nodding a welcome in my direction. They were followed by a quarian and last of all a krogan. The krogan sat next to me without the slightest acknowledgement of my existence. His mere presence commanded my fear and respect. The Commander must be a very good captain, I thought, to have a krogan following her so readily. I was about to reply to a question that Garrus put my way when the speakers crackled to a start and blared out a message directed at the Commander.

"Too close, Commander. Ten more seconds and we would've been swimming in molten sulphur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference." The pilot's teasing voice informed us all.

"We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" I said reproachfully. Angry that the pilot would say such a thing to the Commander, even jokingly, when she had risked so much to rescue me.

"Joker pulled our asses out of there. I think he's earned the right to a few bad jokes." The commander told me. Her tone of voice told me that she was aggravated with me but her eyes showed that she was laughing inwardly at my comment.

"I see. It must be a human thing" I said lamely, "I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander. But I am grateful to you. You saved my life back there and not just from the volcano. Those geth would have killed me or dragged me off to see Saren."

What did Saren want from you?" The male from the mine asked me. "Do you know something about the Conduit?"

"Only that it was somehow connected to the Protheans extinction." I answered. "That is my real expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them."

"Just how old are you, exactly?" The Commander asked me, astounded that I had been studying the Protheans for so long.

"I hate to admit it, but I am only a hundred and six." I told her, embarrassed.

"Damn! I hope I look that good when I'm your age!" The other human from the mine exclaimed.

"A century may seem a long time to a short lived species like yours." I told her. "But among the asari, I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to…dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans."

"I've got my own theory on why the Protheans disappeared." The Commander said to me.

"With all due respect, Commander, I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left, remarkably little behind. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It is like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part. According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them." I told her, wondering what her theory was.

"Where'd you come up with this theory? I thought there wasn't any evidence." the Commander asked me in a serious tone of voice, almost as if she was interested in what I had to say.

"I have been working on this for fifty years. I have tracked down every scrap and shred of evidence. Eventually, subtle patterns start to emerge. Patterns that hint at the truth. It is difficult to explain to someone else." I confessed, "I cannot point to one specific thing to prove my case. It is more, a feeling derived from a half century of dedicated research. But I know I am right. And eventually, I will be able to prove it. There were other civilizations before the Protheans. This cycle has repeated itself many times over." I said, confidently.

"If the Protheans weren't the first, then who was?" the Commander asked me.

"I don't know." I admitted to her, lowering my gaze in my embarassment, "There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory. But I know I am right!" I looked up, hoping that she believed me, "The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before. Their greatest achievements -- the Mass Relays and the Citadel -- are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why."

"They were wiped out by a race of sentinent machines. The Reapers." The Commander told me.

"The--the Reapers? But I have never heard of -- how do you know that? What evidence do you have?" I asked her, angry that the Commander could make such a statement when she had never even studied the Protheans.

"There was a damaged Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime." She told me calmly, "It burned a vision into my brain. I'm still trying to sort out what it all means."

"Visions?" I asked her. Not waiting for a reply I continued, "Yes…that makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the geth attacked Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon--even a badly damaged one--is worth almost any risk. But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed that you were able to make sense of it at all. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong-willed, commander." I said, amazed that she withstood the barrage of pictures she had recieved without any visible damage to herself.

"This isn't helping us find Saren. Or the Conduit." The human male said to me, reminding us all what we were meant to be talking about.

"Of course." I said sheepishly, ducking my head at the same time, "You are right. I am sorry. My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren." I told them sadly.

"I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture." The Commander said to me, "But I think we'll be a lot better off if we bring you along"

"Thank you, Commander." I said to her gratefully, "Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than here on your ship. And my knowledge of the Prothean might be useful later on."

Before the Commander could respond the krogan, who had until now sat quietly listening, finally spoke.

"And her biotics will come in handy when the fighting starts." I had expected him to oppose the Commander's decision so I had braced myself for the worst. However he surprised me greatly with his compliment, and by the looks of it surprised the Commander as well.

"Good to have you on the team, Liara." She said to me, warmly, appearing to have recovered from her surprise.

"Thank you, Commander." I said thankfully, "I am very greatf--whoa. I am afraid I am feeling a bit light-headed."

When was the last time you ate? Or slept?" the human male demanded, "Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."

"It is probably just mental exhaustion, coupled with the shock of discovering the Protheans' true fate." I told him, "I need some time to process all this. Still, it could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me the chance to think things over." "Are we finished here, Commander?" I asked.

"We can talk again after you've seen the doctor." She replied. "The rest of you…dismissed."

As we walked out, Joker's voice blared out over the speakers in the Comm Room.

"Mission reports are filed Commander. You want me to patch you through to the Council?"

I didn't listen to her reply but I assumed she had said yes because out of the corner of my eye I saw the FTL links light up and produce the holograms of a turian, an asari and a salarian. I didn't pay attention to their conversation as I waited for the others to get out of the Comm Room but as I was leaving, a question that the turian Councilor directed at the Commander stuck out.

"I assume that you are taking the necessary security precautions."

_How dare he! _I thought angrily. _Why do people keep assuming that I want to harm them just because my mother is Matriarch Benezia?!_

Through my rage I only just managed to hear the Commander's reply.

"Liara's on our side. The geth were trying to kill her."

_At least someone's on my side._ I thought as I walked out of the Comm Room.

After I exited the Comm Room I realised that I didn't know were I could find this Dr. Chakwas. I saw a human standing beside the Galaxy Map and after a moments hesitation, I decided to ask him where I was supposed to go.

"Miss." He said when I got close to him.

"Err…hello." I said awkwardly.

"Was their something you wanted?"

"Um, yes there is. Could you tell me where I would find Dr. Chakwas?" I asked him.

"Down the stairs and to the right. She should be in the Medical Bay." He seemed eager to get rid of me so I muttered a quick "thank you" and walked down the stairs towards the Medical Bay.

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_Sorry for the delay for this chapter, my computer kept crashing on me while I was writing it so it took longer than I expected to finish it. I probably won't be publishing chapters as often as I have because school starts next week and I will have much less time to write more chapters. Thank you for all your lovely reviews, without all your kind comments and helpful tips, I probably would lose heart and stop writing this story._

_Thank you for reading the third chapter in 'A New Beginning'! I hope you liked it!_


	4. Examinations

_**Disclaimer - **I don't own anything in here relating to Mass Effect, Bioware gets to claim that. I do own the the things that aren't mentioned in the game however._

_**A/N - **Thanks goes to AblatedCrayon for Beta Reading this for me and getting me off my lazy behind. Any mistakes left are my own stubborn ones._

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I trudged slowly down the Normandy's stairs, trying to forget the look the human guard had given me at the door. As I walked, I tried to figure out what the crew did not like about me. I had been courteous to everybody I spoke with, did my best to not make any hurtful remarks, and offered to help whenever somebody needed assistance—though, to my surprise, my offers were shrugged off by the crewmembers with an 'I'm okay,' or 'I'm fine, I don't need help.' They treated me as a, well, a dumb animal; fit only to be fattened up all my life to provide food for them when I died. About halfway down the slowly curving stairs it struck me.

'_Of course they don't trust you, Liara. Your mother is allied with a rogue Spectre who is trying to destroy the universe. What did you expect? Sympathy? Comfort? Did you expect them to care that you hadn't spoken to her in years? That you were horrified by the very notion that your mother was doing something against her very own ideals? They don't care that you wonder what reason she had to align herself with a person so horrific. They don't care that every night since you found out you have been praying to Athame for your mother to come to her senses and come home.'_

I hummed softly, trying to block out the voice in my head, to no avail.

'_They think you are her tool. The person whom she has trained since birth to take over her role and destroy the universe. But you are worthless. You are nothing. You disappointed her as a child and always fell short of her expectations! Your mother would be much better off if you had never been born. If you were smart and half the daughter you should have been you wouldn't have needed rescuing from the ruin. Even Shepard would be better off without you. You eat their food and breathe their air and yet you don't have any information about Saren, nor can you help Shepard with her vision. You don't even have any information that you can give to Shepard about your mother! But then, what can you expect from a pathetic pureblood?_

As much as I hated to admit it, the voice was right. I always seemed to fall beneath what my mother thought I could achieve. Thinking about my mother brought back sad memories of my childhood; namely my education and the loneliness that accompanied it. Holding back tears as I arrived at the bottom of the stairs, I was greeted with the stares of the crewmembers seated around a table in the middle of the dark room. I walked over to the blue lit door marked 'MED BAY' and as I waited beside it while it opened; I tried not to meet anyone's stares. I did my best to ignore the looks from the crew and let my gaze wander over the area around me. Near the back were some sleeper pods, where a few crewmembers were chatting. To the left of that area was the entrance to the Commander's quarters. Something was odd about that area though. It seemed to be bathed in a fierce flickering orange light, with tongues of flames licking the doorway to the room almost like it was the entrance to hell itself. And then the devil suddenly appeared, a dark shadow cast on the walls. Turning my head sharply, I tried to see where it was, but I could not see it. I started to panic. How could the Commander's quarters be hell? She was so nice, so willing to stand up for me. She listened when others ignored me. I couldn't begin to describe how relieved I was when I realised that the flames were just the light cast on the walls from a flickering orange panel near the sleeper pods. The shadow was merely the man who had been working alongside Shepard on Therum, with tussled hair that looked more like horns with each passing moment. As I watched, he groaned softly and started fiddling with the omni-tool encompassing his lower left arm.

Curious as to what he was doing, I kept my gaze on him. But catching movement out of the corner of my eye brought me back to what I was here for. I slowly walked through the now open door, noting the medi-gel dispenser and beds on my left as the doctor finished typing something on her computer. As I sat down opposite her, she glanced up and blinked in surprise before speaking.  
"Ah, Dr. T'Soni. It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you alright?"

"I can assure you that I am fine, but the Commander was insistent on me coming down for you to check up on me. I got a bit… lightheaded while she was debriefing the team."

"When was the last time you had something to drink?"

"Several days ago, on Therum." It had been a quite nice drink too. Something I had found in one of the crates at the dig site. Something called Oreng Juik? Oran Jud? It was some human drink anyway.

The doctor frowned slightly. "What was stopping you from drinking?"

Embarrassed, I looked at my hands and muttered, "I was trapped in a Prothean security device." I was certain that the doctor would chuckle-or at least grin-at my folly, but she didn't, or she kept it to herself.

"Interesting. I imagine that you didn't get any sleep either while you were trapped?"

"Ah, no, I didn't. It was not, perhaps, the best position to sleep in. Add the fact that every other minute an angry krogan came by with a new way to get past the barrier and I think it's safe to assume that I did not sleep." I responded.

Dr. Chakwas raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing about my comment.

"Do you have any access to your medical history, Doctor?" she inquired.

"They were on my computer at the dig site, but from the condition we left the site in; I would say that I don't have access to the files." I guessed that the ruins had probably caved in completely by now, and had taken the tent with my belongings inside down with it. I supposed I was lucky that I had saved my dig site reports to an extranet storage site a few hours before I was trapped inside the security device.

The doctor sighed quietly, and thought for a few moments. Pressing some buttons on her computer, she said, "I will need to run a few scans, then, to get your medical data onto our system. If you want, you can lie down on one of the beds as I scan you. You can even catch up on some sleep if you wish."

"I would like that." I said happily. I was already starting to feel tired.

Dr. Chakwas got up and walked over to a container on the wall, gesturing to me to get onto one of the beds. Obligingly, I walked over to the bed furthest from the door, and stretched myself out on its comfortable surface.

"So," Dr. Chakwas said, walking over to the bed, a scanner in one hand, a cup filled with what looked like water in the other, "what do you think of us humans?"

"Your race is… bewildering." I said slowly. "You move so quickly, so recklessly, some might say irrationally. And yet you humans managed to defend yourselves so easily against the turians, who were the most powerful military force at that time. Hardly any of your population volunteers to serve in your military, and yet your race is considered a leading force in Citadel military! However, humanity is hard to take seriously at times. You jump headfirst into difficult situations, often without a thought. You are too quick to judge and form your own opinions about other races. Many of you seem to believe that the asari are promiscuous, even though that is completely wrong."

"Surely we're not all bad," Dr. Chakwas joked, passing the cup to me. I drank from it slowly, fiddling with my coat with my free hand. I had not met humans before Therum, and knew hardly a thing about them. How could I tell her that the only humans that had actually been 'nice' to me were the Commander and herself? In the end, I decided to play it simple.  
"That is true. The Commander is nice," I said hesitantly, "and although humanity is seen as an aggressive species, there are stories about influential non-violent humans. All in all, however, I haven't had much time around your race so I cannot give you a well backed opinion, I'm afraid. The few things I know about your race I have found out from news videos and the extranet, particularly around the time when you first came to the Citadel."

"What did they say about us?" the Doctor asked, her curiosity understandable, while running a handheld scanner over me.

"Along with the basic things about your species, such as how long you live for on average, they said that humanity is an impatient species, always trying to get something done immediately instead of later when it will be more beneficial. And unfortunately, a lot of people think that it is true. Many like to point out the fact that you are intent on having more authority in the Council and their decisions, and yet you flat out refuse to listen to them or wait for your turn. Most species would do anything to be able to have the privileges given to you, and yet no matter how much we give, you want more from us."

An awkward silence followed my answer, interrupted only by the sounds of buttons being pressed by Dr. Chakwas on the scanner. This always seemed to happen, me saying something without thinking it through, and either being embarrassed or feeling really awkward—although, to me, the two were the same. It was probably a blessing to my race that I didn't want to be a diplomat, as I would cause far more headaches across the galaxy than I would resolve.

"Excuse me for asking," I said the doctor nervously, trying to break the silence, "but who is the man by the flickering panel out there?"

"Lieutenant Alenko," she answered. "May I ask why?"

"He seemed to be in some pain when I passed him earlier."

"Ahh," she said. Seeing the confused look on my face, she continued, "The Lieutenant is an L2 biotic."

"Someone with the second version of implants made for your species?" I clarified.

Dr. Chakwas nodded. "The second implant gave a lot more diversity into the range of abilities a biotic had at hand. But, although the new implant expanded their abilities immensely, the symptoms were a lot more severe."

"The symptoms?" I asked, confused.

"L2's experienced severe medical complications, such as insanity, mental impairment, or extreme physical pain. The Lieutenant is lucky he only gets migraines, considering the fact that his abilities are comparable to an asari's."

"Really?" I said, amazed that a human could have abilities equal in power to my own.

"Yes, although I wouldn't worry too much. Few humans can peak that high. Only the L2's can, and of them, only a few. However, even though Commander Shepard is an L3, her powers do rival the Lieutenant's. She is the exception to the rule."

That was interesting. I had no idea that human biotics were so powerful, even if only a few of them were. I thought I had an idea of how to help the Lieutenant relieve the pain of his migraines though, so I told the Doctor.

"I might be able to help the Lieutenant with his migraines. There are some meditation exercises that all trained asari biotics have to learn that might ease his suffering somewhat."

Dr. Chakwas smiled. "I shall let him know once I'm finished here."

The room fell silent once more, albeit not as awkward as before. I sat my now empty cup on the edge of the bed, and the Doctor wrote some notes on her computer. As she continued to scan me, I closed my eyes and thought about what the Commander had told me. She had said that the Reapers were responsible for the genocide of the Protheans. At first I didn't believe her. How could I? There was no evidence of their existence. No reason for the Commander to even know about them, let alone know what they did. When she said she had stumbled across a Prothean beacon and received a somewhat jumbled message from it, my first thought was not about how it totally vindicated her claims, but about how remarkably strong this woman must be to have not been killed from the sheer mental overload it would have caused in a weaker mind. It would be fascinating to do a mind meld with the Commander to see the vision. It could reveal many secrets about Prothean life and their extinction.

The days without sleep were really starting to catch up to me. I raised a hand to my mouth to stifle a yawn and let it fall back down. Belatedly I decided I should have kept it there as it was followed by several more yawns in a row. I feebly tried to open my eyes, and managed to get a glimpse of Dr. Chakwas frowning at something on her computer screen. But I did not get the opportunity to ponder what it was, as my mind slipped into the dark, welcoming silence of sleep.

* * *

**_A/N - _**_Y__es, I'm allliiivvee!! I guess I have some explaining to do, don't I? Well firstly, sorry for the what, year long wait for this chapter? *cringes in corner* It's just I have had a really rough year at school last year and I don't really want to go into the details, so I'll just tell you that because of my experiences I really lost heart with all my writing and some other aspects of my life and so I didn't finish this till the beginning of this year. I promise to update quicker this year, so please don't get mad at me! :)__  
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter. My grey friend down here really loves it when people click on it so why don't you do so and drop a few lines about this chapter? _


	5. Recovery

**_Disclaimer: _**_as much as I would like it, I don't own Mass Effect or any of the series. If I had, things may have been different._

* * *

_The sounds of blasts shakes me from my pitiful attempts at sleep._

_A falsely sweet voice calls out to me, "Morning Princess."_

_I groan. Sleep has been elusive hanging here, and to be interrupted by the krogan who has been trying to get to me for a day now does not exactly comfort me. I don't know what his reasons are, but I know they cannot be pleasant._

_I ignore his greeting, instead turning my head towards the red painted geth that flank him. One glance is all I require to ascertain that the rocket launchers they carry are the cause of the blasts. During my glance, the krogan orders them to stop with one bark of his rough voice. He steps as close to me as he is able, the barrier curtain stopping him from coming closer. My head is forced downwards to keep him in sight, the extra protection I had inadvertently triggered earlier preventing me from doing so in a comfortable manner._

"_Good to see you're going to be paying attention when we get you out," the krogan spits at me, and waits for a reply. No doubt wanting to make his dull self feel better by making me plead to know what this new plan will entail. I don't feel the need to boost his ego. I look around, wondering whether the krogan had actually managed to come up with a somewhat decent plan this time with that head of his. Seeing nothing other than the rocket launcher equipped geth, I relax slightly. They hadn't thought to use the mining laser yet. Although many escape plans had gone through my head, they all needed outside interference, preferably with good intentions. While none had much chance of success in my opinion, I figured that the sheer energy of the laser may be enough to overload the curtain. I was surprised the krogan hadn't thought of it yet. It wasn't as though it would be that hard to work into that thick skull._

_The krogan, seemingly annoyed by my prolonged silence, sneers at me and stalks back to the geth. Their eerie flashlight heads turn from me to him as he gives them instructions too quiet for me to hear. However, as their heads turn back to me, launchers raised, I begin to worry that my original assessment of the krogan's intelligence had not given him as much credit as he perhaps deserved. I squeeze my eyes shut as the unbearably bright explosions fill my view. It doesn't take me long to realise that they are not aiming at the barrier curtain (as they had done previously) but at the ancient walls around it. If they managed to break through them...the curtain would not stop them. Aware of the consequences that would face me if they got through, I start to get afraid. Afraid for the first time in decades._

My eyes open. The glare fades quickly and I realise that the rockets are making no sound. Nor would rockets make such uniform light patterns...on the roof? I groan. Great dream there, Liara. Or a memory. Yes, definitely a memory. The krogan didn't manage to get through in the end. The walls were stronger than the two of us had thought. It hadn't stopped him from trying though. He still managed another two break in attempts before the humans arrived. Speaking of the humans...

I glance around. There are several bed-like tables around me, and from the hardness of what I am lying on, I believe it's fair to assume that I'm on one of them. There's a medigel dispenser near the door. Okay, so a medical bay of some sorts. But where? I try to sit up and then spot a grey haired lady walk over in a uniform very similar to my own. On one sleeve however, an orange badge proudly proclaims: Normandy. SR-1.

Ah. I remember now.

Dr. Chakwas asks me how I am feeling.

"I am good, thank you. Did you get the information you needed?" I hope she did. Not exactly keen on a time consuming examination when you can't sleep through it.

She smiles, "I did, and you are-"

My stomach chooses this moment to interrupt. She glances at it for a moment, confirming that it was the source of the rumbling. She tries again,

"You are a perfectly healthy asari maiden, considering that you were trapped for three days. However, you are undernourished, but I'm sure you already have plans to fix that." She glances at my stomach again.

"Where can I get some food?"

"Just outside of here is the main eating area. While the food dispensers mostly have human food, I'm sure you'll find something to your liking. There's a table out there and if your quick," she glances at her omni-tool as it lights up, "you can be out of there before the crew starts breaking for lunch."

Lunch? Great. I've been out for at least twenty hours. My own omni-tool confirms this.

"Thank you again. I'll stop interrupting your work."

"Doctor." She bows her head slightly.

I let my feet touch the ground, the cool metal being felt by my feet despite the soles of my shoes. As I walk to the door, Dr. Chakwas returns to her desk, the squeaking of her chair the last thing I hear from her before the door slides shut, cutting me off from that particular safety line. It's okay, Liara. It's not as though you're facing a herd of krogan in battle. It's just a ship. Full of humans. Most of which dislike you because of your mother. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

I have to stop myself fleeing back into the Med Bay.

Come on, Liara. You can do this.

I tentatively walk towards the food dispenser, and, seeing nobody near it, start to relax. The menu is unexciting. There's nothing on it that I recognise. Not that i should be surprised. The only human food I've ever tried before was Oran Juik, and that was a drink...I think. That was what the scratched label said anyway. My translator had issues with that label. Okay, none of that on the menu. There's orange juice, but that doesn't sound very nice. Lasagne? No... Tuna mornay?

My omni-tool lights up, an extranet search providing me with a picture and a description of the ingredients. Doesn't sound too bad. My eyes quickly scan through the rest of the list. Seems like the tuna mornay is the way to go then.

Once I've selected this, a message pops up on the screen.

'Please place finger on scanner.'

Right...random at all? I do as it asks, and another message pops up.

'Enjoy your meal Dr. T'Soni.'

I grab the bowl, wondering whether the food will be enough for a biotic seeing as it knows who I am. I don't know if I would be hungry enough to eat that much if I did get more, and it could taste horrible. It is food though, and as my stomach reminds me, as long as it's edible it should fill me up. I take my food to the table, choosing the end closest to the Med Bay. Hesitantly my fork lifts the food to my mouth. Smells alright. The food is only in my mouth for a second before I am up, the chair screeching against the floor as my tongue registers the heat. As I rush over to the dispenser I curse my forgetfulness in the rush to eat. A drink would be really good right now. I impatiently press my way through the menus, frantically chewing. I can hear the water trickling into the cup as the heat starts travelling down my throat, along with the food. The trickling stops and I grab the cup, completely ignoring the courtesy message on the screen as the cool, cool water splashes down my throat, chasing the heat to my stomach. I refill my cup and take it back to my table, the tuna mornay thankfully having cooled down in my absence. Mouthful after mouthful works its way down my throat, and when my chaotically moving fork is laid to rest, it is done too soon. I look wistfully at my empty bowl, still hungry. My stomach growls again. If anything that tuna mornay made me hungrier than I was beforehand.

"You know, you can have seconds."

I turn sharply and face the human. It's the male from the ruin. Kaidan, I think. Still at that orange panel.

"How do you know I'm hungry?" I hope my antics haven't interrupted his work.

He starts walking over to me. "Firstly, you've just been without food for days. Secondly, you're a biotic, so that makes the hunger twice as bad. Thirdly, you looked at your bowl as though you could will it to fill up again."

He gestures at the dispenser and I join him at it, putting my dishes in the recycling as I do so.

"Seeing as you know so much, what do you suggest I have?"

He points at the lasagne. "Pasta always fills people up, and it's less likely to surprise you with the heat."

I blush slightly at this. He saw that? That's embarrassing. I choose what he suggested, and bring the lasagne and another cup of water back to the table. He comes along, sitting opposite me. This time I check how hot the food is before putting it in my mouth.

"What do you think?" he sounds genuinely curious.

"It's good." I never knew humans could cook so well. Even though technically a human didn't actually cook the meal and only came up with the recipe. You get the idea. This...pasta was it? It isn't bad.

He smiles, and allows me to finish my meal in relative silence, asking only the occasional question. Parts of the crew start coming in, and soon the table is full of people. Only one empty seat. Next to me. I don't mind. Kaidan sees that I'm almost done, and excuses himself. I don't know whether it is to make room at the table or to stop people associating me with him. I would understand if he did it for the latter though. I wouldn't want to be known as a friend of mine.

I turn my attention the conversations around me. Someone talking about their father. Another about the daughter they left at home. One about a co-worker the two both want to get together with. And one about me.

"Didn't know they let strippers on board Alliance ships."

"Who are you talking about?"

"That blue chick. Over there. Asari. Can't miss her."

"She's a doctor, Gladstone."

"So? Can't you see her in one of them outfits?

My cheeks start darkening. The second one replies.

"Even if I could, her mum works with Saren. A Matriarch, someone said."

I've lost my appetite. I go up to the dispenser to put my dishes away, which unfortunately means going past the two. I avoid their gaze and thankfully they stop their conversation as I go past. I start heading towards the Med Bay, hoping Dr. Chakwas can tell me of somewhere quiet I might stay. Unfortunately, I can't make it inside before they continue.

"Doesn't matter. I'd still tap that."

I frown slightly. 'Tap'? I quickly search for its meaning on my omni-tool as I continue walking. The pair starts chuckling.

verb, to tap: to have sex with (derogatory)

By. The. Goddess.

I practically run into the Med Bay.

Dr. Chakwas looks over me curiously as the door slides shut behind me.

"Is there something you need, Doctor?"

"I don't suppose you know of a place where I could stay? Somewhere quiet?"

She notices the blush that had crept up my face due to my little revelation.

"Somewhere separated from the crew?"

I nod quickly, my blush increasing.

"You can use the storage room over there," she gestures at a closed door. "The Commander has already requested that it be available for your use. It's not big, but it should suit your needs. It is rare for people to go in there and there is a terminal you can use."

"Thank you for your kindness." I'm touched.

"It's my pleasure." She smiles at me and returns to her work.

I walk over to the door and as it slides open I receive my first glimpse of what my new home has to offer. It is indeed small, but not uncomfortably so. There is little stored here, but it is spread all over the room, one box even lies on its side, its contents strewn all over the floor. As promised a terminal is present, sitting atop a small metal desk.

I move over to the terminal, checking that there is nothing important on it before I set my omni-tool to back-up all the data to it that I had managed to retrieve from the dig site . As I wait for it to do so, I begin the task of making the room marginally more presentable. Not that anyone but me will be coming in here. Soon, the majority of the boxes have been stacked neatly against one wall, the fallen box the only one remaining. I check on the terminal. The transfer is almost complete. I am tempted to sit down on the plastic chair in front of it and wait for it to finish, but I figure that I should finish the tidying I had started. It is only one box after all, albeit the one that will take the most effort to put back to its rightful position. I sigh and bend down, turning the mostly empty box back on its base. I carefully place item after item back into it, noting that most of it is just small electronic goods; the occasional spare omni-tool and so on, unlike the rest of the boxes, which had all carried medical supplies. It is one of the last things however, that catch my eye. A small, black picture frame.

I wonder why a starship would need a trinket like that? To add a personal touch to the ship's otherwise bland surroundings perhaps? Not that it is exactly important. Although...an idea strikes me. Carefully, I place the frame on the desk and finish packing the box. I barely notice the terminal beep to say that the transfer has been completed as I stack the box with the rest. I walk over to the frame and activate my omni-tool, searching my image gallery for a particular picture. I grin as the photo buzzes into existence in the frame. A reminder of what I am here for, and why I am doing what I am.

The terminal beeps again, drawing my attention away from the frame. A pop-up on the screen informs me that I have three messages. I open up the application and check whether they are important. One is advertising some new bar on the Citadel and the other two are from the university who was providing much of the funding for my trip. I delete the first email and open the second.

FROM: Thessian University VI  
TO: Dr. Liara T'Soni

Check-in at 0800 hours has been missed. Please check-in immediately.

Oh...darn. I open the second message from the university.

FROM: Thessian University VI  
TO: Dr. Liara T'Soni

Failed to check-in. Please check-in immediately. Failure to do so will result in search team dispatch.

This isn't good. Not good at all. I better do that soon. Like, right now.

FROM: Dr. Liara T'Soni  
TO: Thessian University VI

Dig-Site has been abandoned due to attacks. Data in possession. Report shall be filed soon. Request leave for personal matters.

That should do it. I hear the door slide open and click send as I turn to face the intruder.

"Commander," I blink in surprise before continuing, "are you coming to check up on me?"

Shepard looks over me. I wonder what she is looking at. I feel blood start rushing to my face. Thankfully, a small smile graces her lips and they part. "You look much better. How are you feeling?"

Again, I am surprised. Why does she care about how I am? Of course, I am a part of her crew now and so she most likely needs to know that I am well enough to fulfil my duties. Whatever they will be. "Dr. Chakwas assures me I am going to be fine. I was impressed by her knowledge of asari physiology."

"You're in good hands. Dr. Chakwas knows what she is doing."

Silence envelops us once more. Apparently I cannot have a conversation with a human that doesn't get uncomfortable. I squirm under her level gaze. Did I somehow make it seem that I doubted Dr. Chakwas' abilities? I had only meant to express my gratitude that I did not need to explain my physiology to the Doctor. I didn't mean to imply that she shouldn't have known it, only that I was surprised that she did. I desperately try to change the subject. "I never properly thanked you for saving me from the geth, Commander. If you hadn't shown up..."

"I'm just glad we got there in time." She smiles again.

"So am I." I grin at my success, but it fades as I think about what being saved, and therefore getting to stay on the Normandy, has meant for me. "I know you to a chance bringing me aboard this ship. I have seen the way your crew looks at me. They do not trust me. But I am not like Benezia. I will do whatever I can to help you stop Saren...I promise." I cringe slightly as I finish talking. Good job there, Liara. Now she won't believe you. Nobody keeps promises these days. I might as well have said 'trust me, because I want to get close to you so I can tell Saren what you're planning so he can kill you and continue whatever it is he's doing unhindered'.

Shepard cuts off my internal ramblings. "Don't worry, Liara. I trust you. I know you won't let me down."

I sigh quietly. Disaster diverted. "It means a lot to hear you say that, Commander. Thank you." I mean it. It feels good to have someone as nice as Shepard trust me. Someone so...popular. It is gratifying in a way. If someone like her is able to trust me, with a mother who was doing something so wrong as mine was, then surely I must be a good person. Somebody worth enough to be able to stand in the presence of a woman so courageous, and be trusted.

Silence falls on us once more, but this time it is calming, almost serene. Shepard looks over my new work area, as if wondering what I will do in this small room. In a way, I don't want to be assigned anything, as that will allow me to work on my report about my findings on Therum. On the other hand, I want to be useful to Shepard, and in turn to her crew, to prove that I won't betray them, even if Shepard says she trusts me.

Shepard's wandering gaze halts on the picture I had put on my desk earlier, probably focusing her attention on Benezia. Sizing her up. Not that it would be a very insightful picture. Just me standing next to her, grinning stupidly and proudly shoving my doctorate certificate at the camera, her arm around my shoulders and a seemingly proud smile gracing her face.

"Tell me about yourself Liara." Shepard's gaze turns back to me, curiosity lacing her voice.

I am confused, although I reason that her interest was likely piqued by my picture. "Me? I am afraid I am not very interesting, Commander. I spend most of my time on remote digs, unearthing mundane items buried in long forgotten Prothean ruins."

"Sounds dangerous. And lonely." She sounds almost wistful.

Dangerous? Occasionally. But lonely? Not exactly. "Sometimes I would run afoul of indigenous life-forms, or stumble across a small band of mercenaries or privateers. But I was always careful. Until the geth followed me to Artemis Tau, I never found myself in any situation my biotics could not handle. As for the solitude, well, that is one aspect that most appealed to me. Sometimes I just need to get away from other people."

"You don't like other people?" Okay. She took that the wrong way completely. It's kind of right, I guess, in a way. She is only trying to understand after all.

"I suppose it comes from being a Matriarch's daughter. People expected me to follow in Benezia's footsteps. They wanted me to become a leader of our people. Matriarchs guide their followers into the future. They seek the truth of what is yet to come. Maybe that's why I became so interested in the secrets of the past. It sounds so foolish when I say it out loud. It sounds like I became an archaeologist simply to spite Benezia." There was so much more to the decision.

"All children rebel against their parents. It's a natural part of growing up." Shepard sounds so sure. It's hard not to believe what she said. But how does she know that? I would have expected to hear it from a philosopher. Someone old and meant to say deep things.

I cannot hold back my laugh. "You share the wisdom of the Matriarch, Shepard. That is exactly what Benezia said when I told her of my decision. But there was more to it than that. I felt drawn to the past. The Protheans were these wondrous, mysterious figures. I wanted to know everything about them. That is why I find you so fascinating. You were marked by the beacon on Eden Prime; you were touched by working Prothean technology!"

One of the fur patches above her eyes rises. What does that mean? "Sounds like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere."

"What?" Oh Goddess... "No! I did not mean to insinuate- Ah, I never meant to offend you, Shepard. I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for in-depth study. No- that's even worse!"

"Calm down Liara, I was only joking." She chuckles, her tone soothing.

"Joking? Oh, by the Goddess!" I hold my head in my hands. "How could I be so dense? You must think I am a complete idiot and utter fool. Now you know why I prefer to spend my time in the field with data disks and computers. I always seem to say something embarrassing around other people." You idiot, Liara. "Please...just pretend this conversation never happened."

She seems amused by my reaction. Great. Just brilliant. Way to make a fool of yourself, Liara.

"I should go."

Yes...that might be for the best. She doesn't appear upset or angry over my comment, but she should go before I do it again. I don't need to push my luck.

I turn away. "Goodbye, Shepard."

Wait, what? Did I just call her 'Shepard'? I turn around to apologise for my disregard of her title but she has already left the room. So I just insulted the woman I am now working for and then had the gall to call her by name. What a great start to a working relationship. Not that she has exactly given me anything to do, which I did mean to ask her about before I insulted her. It's not like I can just go up to her now and ask her what she wants me to do after that kind of thing. You just don't do that.

I could just think of something that might be helpful. Like asking Dr. Chakwas about Shepard's arm because I also forgot to ask about that. It didn't look to bad though, seemed to be healing well. And there I go again. Calling her 'Shepard'. Can't help myself, can I? At least it wasn't aloud. A slight improvement. I really need to stop doing that though. It's 'Commander', Liara. Not 'Shepard'. 'Commander'...'Commander'...'Commander'...

It's not going to work. I never was good with titles. I'll just do my best to call her 'Commander' and resign myself to thinking of her as 'Shepard'. That could work. Or not. It's worth a try though.

So what can I do now? I could try to improve my social skills by interacting with the crew, or I could work on my report. Use failing social skills or do something I'm used to. Social skills or easy things. Somehow I think I will work on my report. It could help Shepard, after all.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_I really don't know what to say. I haven't updated this for over a year. There isn't any point giving any excuses, just laziness on my part. I've had most of this written for six months. It was just the process of checking it against the other chapters that got to me. I realised that I actually hated how I had written them. It was really demoralising while I tried to write this chapter, knowing how bad the other ones were. But I got there in the end, with a chapter I think is better. It may not be. It's up to you guys._

_Thank you if you have stuck with this long enough to reach this note. I really, really appreciate it. Even with all the delays (some longer than I'd care to admit like this one), you've read it and so you've probably liked it somewhat. Thank you all._

_There is a poll on my profile with regards to the future of this story. I would really appreciate it if you'd all go over there and vote. I don't care what you vote for as long as you do it._


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